A simple and practical guide to maximizing your wedding budget
Organizing a wedding and imagining your future together, what an exciting adventure! However, like any adventure, the one of getting married can bring some unpleasant surprises if you are not sufficiently prepared.
Do not be afraid! Organizing the day of your dreams without saying goodbye to your savings is within your reach. Thanks to this simple and practical guide, you will make wise decisions aligned with your budget and your ideas.
Ready?
Your priorities, the priority
Before getting to the heart of the matter, it is essential that together you agree on your priorities. What does your ideal wedding look like? What are the most important elements to you? Whether it’s the venue, the caterer, the photographer or even the theme, your priorities will serve as a compass to effectively distribute your budget.
Big expenses: venue, food and alcohol
Generally speaking, with the number of guests, the three biggest expenses during a wedding are the rental of your venue, the food and alcohol. Once again, it all depends on your priorities and your reality.
Let’s take alcohol: you can adopt the formula “bring your own alcohol », offer only the welcome cocktail or wine during the meal, give a determined number of consumption coupons per person, have a bar open available all evening... There are as many possible options as there are budgets.
Same thing with the caterer: whether you choose a buffet or a four-course meal, canapes when guests arrive, an oyster bar, a dessert table or a midnight snack, the important thing is that you respect your vision, your priorities and your budget.
Keep in mind the choice of your venue could also influence the costs: some have a permit allowing them to sell their alcohol only, while others offer catering services or do business exclusively with certain vendors. It is therefore impossible to select vendors and, thus, to control the budget you have set. A “think about it” when it’s time to make a confirmation!
Our checklist for small, medium and large wallets
With experience, and with more than 150 weddings under our belt, we have managed to create a realistic and inclusive price range, from small to large budget. We are pleased to make it available to guide your thoughts and expectations.
Note that the estimates have been based on a wedding of 100 guests, and exclude certain expenses such as wedding dresses and attire, wedding rings, accommodation, honeymoon and printing and mailing costs.
And what about the flowers?
Surprised by certain costs… the flowers for example? We'll explain it to you. First, you need to understand that when you pay for floral arrangements, you get much more than flowers. You are purchasing a complete and personalized service including, in particular: research to find the ones you will like, storage and the care they need to stay pretty and healthy until the day of (products, tools, sufficiently large fridges, etc.), the set-up during the event… Also, certain elements can influence prices, such as the availability and seasonality of the flowers desired at your wedding.
Without forgetting that you have to plan flowers for the bride's bouquet, for the bridesmaids and the flower girl, for the buttonholes, and the reception (table centrepieces, decorations, etc.).
Casually, there is a lot of expertise hidden behind your floral arrangements!
Everything is possible
At the risk of repeating ourselves, whatever decisions you make, the important thing is to respect your priorities and your limits. An option exists for all budgets. Everything is possible, you just need to be flexible, open-minded and creative. Our team has the experience to help you navigate through this process and find the best value for your money.
Speaking of budget… Good news! The Virtual coffee with our team is free ;)
Come tell us about your ideas so that together we can explore the myriad of possibilities.